Five of the teams in the round of 16 (over thirty per cent) at the World Cup are Latin American (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay), although Latin America accounts for only 8.5 per cent of the world's population.
Five of the seven countries (after Russia) that snapped up most tickets in advance were Latin American: Brazil (30,000); Colombia (65,000); Mexico (60,000); Argentina (54,000) and the lively Peruvians who were unfortunately eliminated at the group stage (44,000). Many of the 89,000 fans from the United States are Latinos who may support their country of origin. South Americans have paid up to $10,000 to follow their national team, in many cases taking out loans.
The World Cup has a unique appeal in Latin America. For European fans, club often comes before country. For Latin Americans, it is the reverse.
Football is one of the few things at which Latin America is world class. Between them, three South American teams (Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay) have won the trophy nine out of the 20 times it was contested. Footballers are a leading export.
Most of the domestic leagues are poorly financed, beset by corruption and feature violent clashes between rival fans. However, football is a route for upward mobility. Of course, only a tiny percentage make the grade, but at least it offers the hope of a route of poverty and violent surroundings. It also means that the racial mix of national teams tends to reflect the country more accurately than do business or political elites.
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